Love Bug
by imaginationrunsfree
Summary: A collection of one-shots and short stories about my current favourite couple, Scott and Hope. Set after the events in Ant-Man and the Wasp.
1. Love Bug

AU: With so much love for Ant-man and the wasp going on, I just can't help but write about these two adorable humans. Paul and Evangeline totally kill it in this movie and my shipper heart has now left it's chest at all the new content Marvel provided. While I own nothing here but my ideas, I hope that I did these characters justice.

Without further ado...

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Love Bug

The sun was shining brightly, barely a cloud in the sky on an unseasonably warm day in San Francisco. Hope Van Dyne was driving down the street, admiring the unique view only her miniaturized self could appreciate. Her little sedan zoomed along the pavement, narrowly avoiding cracks and bumps, ducking under passing cars who were oblivious to her driving below them. The paper bag full of homemade lunch items crinkled and rocked slightly in the passenger seat as she turned a corner, pulling into the alley next to the building containing X-Con Security Consulting. While perhaps not the located in the nicest part of town, or holding any real curb appeal, it wasn't the building itself that had brought her here, but rather, the people inside. Well, if she was honest, more like one person in particular.

Pushing the lever on the dash, the car zipped back into normal size, rocking slightly on its axels. Grabbing the large sack of food and her keys, she ducked out of the driver's side and into the building. Navigating the narrow stairway, she ascended to the third floor, approaching unit 5 with slight trepidation. Her stomach flipped a little before she mentally scolded herself. _Honestly, it's not like you haven't been here before. Plus you see him like every day._

She readjusted the bag onto her hip and turned the worn brass door knob, entering the room to a collection of four men playing basketball with a tiny ball and hoop attached to their kitchenette cupboard. Shaking her head a little, she watched as the lean, muscular figure of her boyfriend fake dribbled through his knees, passing the ball skillfully behind his back to his Latino best-friend Luis. His two other partners attempted in vain to block the shot, the tall Russian with an affinity for the stylings of Grease, flailing widely. As the well built black guy (who looked suspiciously like a famous rapper she had seen on TV) closed in on Luis, pressuring him to make the shot. With a quick over-head pass to a now open Scott, he jumped, slam dunking the ball through the net, the hoop bouncing wildly as it attempted to stay connected with its flimsy frame. Luis and Scott cheered, mocking their opponents who were now hanging their heads and saying things like "Aww man!"

Giving Luis a high five, Scott turned to grab at the kitchen towel on the counter, only to spot the athletic, commanding figure of his beautiful girlfriend waiting patiently at his desk. She leaned against its wood enamel frame, her hands dug into the pockets of her simple, yet perfectly styled outfit, a large brown paper bag resting next to her on the desk. A smile spread across his features like wildfire. Grabbing the desired towel, he quickly sponged at his face before throwing it over his shoulder, sauntering over to her with the swagger of the biggest gorilla in the pack.

"Well hello little lady, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Dad's latest project. Mom and I are trying, but we are getting nowhere with it and I needed a break. So, I thought I'd make us some lunch." Resting his hands lightly on her hips, he leaned forward sniffing appreciatively at the bag behind her. Not getting much though, he reached a hand out to paw at the side of bag, attempting to peek inside. "You know you could just ask me what I made."

"Now where's the fun in that?" She rolled her eyes at him.

"It's nothing fancy. I had to whip up something quick. I made those teriyaki buddha bowls you like and grabbed us a couple of waters."

Scott frowned at her slightly. "No dessert?"

She shot him what was supposed to be a scolding look, but was really more of a bemused smile. "You are such a little kid. Don't worry, I packed you some chocolate pudding and gummy worms too."

"Yay!" he cheered. "Have I ever told you how wonderful you are?"

Hope giggled. "You might have...though it doesn't hurt to hear it again."

"Well in that case...You. are. the. most. wonderful. amazing. gorgeous. woman. in. the. world." said Scott, punctuating his words with kisses. Hope smiled against his lips, her arms wrapping around his neck.

"And?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"And I'm the luckiest man in the world to be able to call you my partner." finished Scott.

"Damn straight." said Hope, sealing the matter with one more, slightly longer kiss. Pulling back, she gently rubbed the crinkles next to his eyes with her thumb, appreciating the way his whole face scrunched when he smiled. "I'm pretty damn lucky to have you too. Though you are a total cheese ball." Laughing, Scott nodded, letting go of her to fetch some chairs.

"Fair enough. But hey, who doesn't like cheese?"

Hope was about to quip back, making some comment about lactose intolerant people when Luis interrupted the conversation with a hello. "Hey you two love bugs, whatcha up to over here?"

Drawing the containers of food, utensils and bottles of water from the bag, Hope didn't pay much mind to the man. "Oh you know, just having some..."

"Wait." interrupted Scott. "Love bugs?"

Luis nodded, confirming what he said. "Yah man. Cause you know, you're an ant and everything and she's like a wasp, which is also an insect. Well, I pretty sure they are anyway. Oh are they like spiders? Which totally seem like bugs, but then because they have eight legs instead of six that means they gotta stay in their own family of arachnids. Nah, pretty sure their bugs. Anyway, its sorta like 'love birds' but like, cause you super bugs and all I thought love bugs would be more appropriate."

Turning from her spot, Hope eyed her boyfriend, who was standing there with a stupid grin on his face. He gave her that look. The one where he knew he was going to annoy the crap out of her but she was going to allow it anyway because she secretly loved it. "No. Don't even think about it."

"Oh come on _love bug_ , don't be like that." His cheeks dimpled as his smirk grew wider. He was so enjoying this.

"Scott, I said no. You are not calling me that." She said, with what little sternness she had left in her.

"But love bug, it's such a perfect name for us. As Luis said, we _are_ bugs when we have the suits on. Plus, we are totally in _lurve._ "

Changing tactics she turned on the other man instead. "Really Luis? You had to put that in his head?"

Backing away defensively Luis tried desperately to get out of the situation. "I...I..I'm sorry miss Hope, I didn't think. You both were being all coupley and cute and whatnot, reminded me of me and my girl Juanita see and..and..it just sorta came to me, you know?"

Joining the conversation, Scott's other two colleagues backed Luis up from their desk chairs. "It is cute name no?" said the Russian, Kurt. "I can think of worst things to be called. My girlfriend back in home country used to call me her _nemnogo_ _latke_. Who wants to be called a little potato pancake?"

"Yeh, yeh. Homeboy gotta point." said Dave. "I had this girl once that called me the sappiest, goo-goo eyes names on the block. She had a killer backside, but a man can only take so much before he cracks, you know?"

Scott swiveled in his chair, turning to face his girlfriend who still stood, arms folded over her chest. "See? Even the guys agree. Great nickname. Love bug it is."

Throwing up her hands in defeat, Hope plopped down in the empty chair, situated across from Scott who was already digging furiously into his lunch. Grabbing her bowl and chopsticks, she did her best to look inconspicuous as her leg swung swiftly under the table.

"Oww!" said Scott, rubbing his injured shin. "What was that for?" She quirked an eyebrow at him. Scott sighed. "Yah, okay, fair enough. I guess I deserved that. You didn't have to kick so hard though."

She grinned mockingly at him. "What's the matter love bug, can't handle my bite?"


	2. Surprise!

**Hello dearies!**

 **This one started as one idea, went way longer than expected, and then sort of morph into something unexpected. That being said, I'm pretty darn happy with it. I dedicate this one to all my reviewers who have been asking for more Scott/Hope/Cassie moments.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Hope turned the key in the lock, jiggling it slightly and pressing on the door with her shoulder; just like she had been shown. By the third attempt it finally gave way, swinging innocently on its hinges like it hadn't been a struggle in the first place. _God she hated that door._ While her boyfriend's new place was a huge improvement from the last, she wished for something a little more modern and sparse. Scott's style was more homey and lived in; with half read books on the coffee table, an unclean dish or two in the sink, the occasional sock left on the floor. She preferred her space neat and in order, used to the cold feeling of the lab. It would have been better if the house didn't have to also be shared with Scott's best friend Luis, but she supposed, sacrifices had to be made.

Placing her bag and keys on the bench inside the door, she strolled into the main hallway, the old oak floorboards creaking as she walked. It was early afternoon and the sun shone brightly through the un-curtained kitchen windows, casting the soft shadows of a table and chair onto the floor before her. Dust motes fluttered in the stale air. The windows were thrown wide, but the day's heat held little hint of a breeze. She looked left, then right, padding briskly through the main floor with no luck.

 _Where could he be?_ Taking care on the smooth wooden stairs in her sock feet, she called aloud. "Scott?"

"Hope? That you? I'm in here." Following the sound of his voice she bypassed the second floor, heading for the pull down ladder/stairs that served as an entrance to the attic. Reaching for the only stable looking thing she could find, she clutched the banister and ducked her head, emerging into what seemed like another world. Unlike most people's attics, which were filled with old junk, family heirlooms and a collection of insulation and dust, Scott's was a child's fantasy. Anything unsafe had been hidden behind some plasterboard, giving the walls a smooth, though unfinished texture. The ceiling was hung with an array of space models, origami animals, gauzy fabrics and fairy lights, dark and hollow in the daylight. Decorating most surfaces were pictures and paintings of Cassie's, detailing her latest adventures, whether real or imaginary. The floor was worn and wooden, like the rest of the old house, but was scattered with toys, blankets, books and art supplies. Two square windows framed with hanging drapes served as the main light source. Taking up most of the room was some sort of cardboard structure that Hope supposed was a fort. In the corner lay some forgotten bean bag chairs, a crooked lamp and a bookshelf built into the wall, supporting a surprisingly large glass ant colony. She hadn't realized Scott had started collecting and housing ants himself.

"I felt it was time I give them a bed." said Scott from behind her, thoroughly startling her. She whipped around just in time to see his head pop back down into the fort then re-emerge at her feet. He bounded up with a smile, pressing a kick peck to her lips. "Plus, now that I'm Ant-man, Cassie loves learning about these little guys. Something we can connect on you know?" Hope nodded, not entirely sure what to say. "Plus it's always good to have some back up on home base if I need it. Anyway, what's up? I thought you weren't coming over until later?"

"Hmm?" asked Hope, who had been thoroughly distracted with examining the various markings and openings that had decorated the cardboard structure. "Oh, uh, finished early. Without the company to run, it's mostly just the research Mom, Dad and I are working on right now. I finished with the latest calculations and now we just have to wait and see if they pan out. I didn't feel like waiting so, here I am."

"Oh, uh alright then. Well, as much as I love seeing you, I'm kind of in the middle of something" he gestured behind him. "Do you mind?"

"Oh! Yah, sure sorry, didn't think. I'll just go...wait, is that our lab?" Hope moved towards the left side of the room, peering down as a small box that had been flipped, and was now bearing a suitcase handle and what looked like several hand-drawn windows.

Scott scratched the back of his head, his face screwing up as if to fight the truth that was about to come out. "Yes?"

Looking at him confused, Hope asked. "Scott, what is this?"

He took a moment to chose his words carefully. "During my time with Cassie while I was on house arrest, I had to get creative in order to keep her entertained. One of the things we did was build this. We modelled it on some of my missions, added some fun little gadgets and things." As a demonstration he held up a giant paper plate eye ball mask. "She was getting tired of hearing the same stories over and over, so we decided to act them out instead. I even built a giant sized Anton."

"I'm failing to see how that connects to the lab."

"Well, since we're partners again and you're the Wasp now, I felt it was time for an update. It's the first full weekend I've had with Cassie since bringing your mom back and I wanted to make it special. I've spent all morning re-designing the thing."

With new understanding, Hope re-examined the building. Sure enough, her brain began to recognize familiar settings and objects from their last mission. There was the miniature lab as previously noted, plus a large series of boxes which seemed to make up the full sized version, containing a crude imitation of the Quantum tunnel. Farther along the line she recognized a racing track littered with cars and a toddler sized truck just maybe big enough for Cassie to kneel on. Some discarded drawings of a Ghost mask lay next to the fort, obviously having been considered not accurate enough by the creator. She assumed the final version lay hidden somewhere in the maze of boxes, ready to pop out when the story called for it. There was even a fake boardwalk, bay and ferry boat, which held a Rubix-cube turned Pym lab clutched in the arms of a suited Ken doll.

"You did all this?"

"Yah. It was no big deal really. A lot of it was already here, just had to re-configure some of it. Do you think she'll like it?"

"Scott, are you kidding me? She'll love it! It's amazing!" Scott smiled broadly, all traces of insecurity gone. "God, if my Dad had put even an ounce of the effort that you put in for your daughter, maybe we wouldn't have been estranged for all those years."

Settling his tools aside, Scott wrapped his arms around Hope, bringing her in against his chest. She let herself settle into the gesture, her nose buried into his shoulder. He smelled of sunshine, hard work and something akin to the winter-fresh scent of his body wash.

Pulling away slightly, her hands came up to his face, her thumbs brushing his temples. She kissed him lightly, barely a brush of her lips against his. "You really are a fantastic Dad."

Scott's skin warmed, his gaze flickering down. "I..uh. thanks. I try." She smiled tenderly at him, giving him one more peck before separating.

"What time is Cassie going to be here?"

Looking down at his watch, he did some quick calculations."Well, she'll be getting off school in about twenty minutes or so. I was hoping to grab her myself, but I need a bit more time with the quantum realm box. So, by the time Maggie picks her up, and does what she does, she'll be here around five or so?"

Without even thinking, the worlds tumbled out of her mouth, totally surprising both her and Scott. "I can pick her up."

Scott hesitated, not sure how to react. Things had been good between them, really good, but it had only been a couple of weeks. Cassie had been around Hope a few times since they got back together, but this was different. This would mean extended periods of time where it was _just_ Hope and Cassie, no Scott. "Are you sure?"

Having had a second to think it over, Hope squared her shoulders, arching her spine up and placing a confident tone in her words. "Absolutely. I'd love to."

Still a little bewildered at the situation, Scott just nodded, fumbling to retrieve his phone. The call picked up on the second ring. "Hey Maggie. Yah, I know it's cutting it close but, do you think I can pick Cassie up from school today? I'm just really eager to see her and...oh, uh huh yah, okay. Makes sense. What time? Okay, sounds good. See you then."

"I take it that was a no?" asked Hope.

Scott looked at her apologetically. "Yah, I'm sorry. She was already on her way to school and Cassie doesn't have her overnight bag with her. We can pick her up in about an hour though from the house. I should be finished..." The rest of Scott's sentence trailed away with his thoughts.

Slightly disappointed, Hope nodded, head hanging a little. She turned towards the doorway, off to look for a book to keep her occupied when a thought popped into her head. "Scott?"

"Hmm?"

"What did you have planned for dinner?"

He looked at her in confusion, before the question sunk in and it dawned on him. He had been so wrapped up in his project he had totally forgot. Taking out his wallet, he flipped through the bills, determining how much cash he had on him. "Pizza I guess?"

Coming towards him, she shooed his wallet back into his jeans, placing his now empty hands in hers. "Tell you what. I'll go grab us something for dinner and pick Cassie up on my way back to the house. That should give you more than enough time to finish in here."

"No, no, it's fine. I'll come with to get Cassie and I'll just save the surprise for tomorrow."

Growing a little frustrated now, Hope asked. "What are you so worried about Scott? I saved your ass plenty of times. Surely I can be trusted to pick your daughter up from your ex-wife's house?"

Scott sighed. "That's just it. Maggie hasn't been exactly... welcoming to my girlfriends in the past."

Hope's eyebrows shot skyward. That was the first time Scott had ever mentioned any other woman to her other than his ex-wife. Folding her arms she eyed him up and down, immediately feeling a little defensive. "Exactly how many women have been in my position then?"

Looking startled, Scott hastened to correct himself. "Only..only two. Neither were very serious, nor did they last long, but they had met Cassie once or twice."

She leaned closer, in full interrogation mode now. "And why exactly was Maggie not too fond of them?" Scott was refusing to meet her eyes. He mumbled something that sounded along the lines of desperate and lonely single moms. "She does know about me right?"

"What?" Scott's head whipped up to look at her. "Of course! Cassie used to talk about you all the time. Plus you met her that one time."

"I'd hardly say we met. I stood next to you once when we collected Cassie and you said, 'this is Hope.' I'm not sure that qualifies." Scott shrugged. "And what do you mean _used to_?" Now he was really in for it.

"Well, the thing is..." She leaned even closer, her eyes boring into him. "I haven't exactly mentioned that we are back together. I mean obviously Cassie knows, but I didn't want her saying anything just yet to Maggie and Paxton. I'm not sure how they would feel about it."

"I see." Silence hung in the air, thick and chunky. Her thoughts ran a mile a minute. _What exactly did this mean about how he saw their relationship? What did Maggie and Paxton think of her? She was an accomplished scientist, the CEO of a billion dollar company. Surely her background counted for something?_

 _No, no, she was not having this. She was the Wasp for Christ-sake. She was not going to let some suburban house wife/ex-lover of Scott's stop her from doing what she wanted. She loved Scott, and loved hanging out with Cassie. If they had any chance of moving into a more serious partnership, that meant building a stronger relationship with his daughter._

Doing a 180, she rushed down the stairs, bouncing as it moved with her, her long brown locks swishing back and forth.

"Hope? Hope? Where are you going? You better not be leaving me for Luis" he joked, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Just go back to your fort." she called, now taking the stairs two at a time. "It's okay, I'm not mad. Well, not much anyway."

Taking that as a win, Scott shrugged before turning back to his project, a finger coming to his lips as he debated where to re-start. Remembering what he had said previously, he grabbed some glue and some metallic transfer paper and re-entered the maze.

Hope gripped the steering wheel tightly, eyeing the passing houses carefully, making sure not to miss her target. Her bottom lip was swollen and red, having had it between her teeth for most of the drive. Despite her little mental pep-talk back at the house, nervous butterflies fluttered in her stomach.

The car descended into a slow roll, stopping gently in front of 840 Winter St. Hope eyed the grey brick, two story colonial warily, it's American flag out front seeming to taunt her with the way it flapped. Taking a deep breath, she exited the car and walked quickly up the drive. Her knuckles wrapped sharply on the door once, twice, three times.

She listened as she heard the sounds of footsteps and the unmistakable voice of excitement that belonged to Scott Lang's only daughter. Plastering what she hoped was a friendly smile on her face, she stood tall as the door swung open to reveal the curly blonde head of Maggie. "Hey Scott, she's just grabbing...oh, umm hi." Not exactly the reception she was hoping for but okay, she could work with it.

She held out her hand, attempting to introduce herself. "Hi. I'm.."

"Hope. Yes, I'm aware." Hope let her hand fall back down to her side.

Maggie looked her up and down, lingering on her face and hair. Hope realized that the last and only time they had met she had looked rather different, her hair in a chic bob and her clothes more formal.

"I was under the impression that you didn't have contact anymore."

Hope's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She had forgotten that one of the many things to come out of Scott's house arrest was a better relationship with his ex-wife. Clearly she knew a lot more than she was letting on. "We had a falling out of sorts, but things are fine now. Apologies made, poor decisions forgotten. We've moved on."

Maggie just stared at her, arms crossed, her face a blank canvas. Eventually she spoke.

"Where is Scott? Is he okay?"

"He's fine. He's back at the house working on a surprise for Cassie. He's been working all day and just needed a little more time to finish, so I offered to pick her up."

Maggie's expression seemed to soften a little at the mention of Scott working on a surprise. The sound of quick footsteps alerted the women to the approach of Cassie, who was now hopping down the stairs, duffle bag in hand. "That's awfully nice of you to offer to do that, but surely we are out of your way? I remember Scott mentioning you lived in the other end of the city, near your company?" The question seemed friendly enough in context, but the tone implied otherwise. Maggie was clearly fishing.

Hope shot the ex-wife a closed lip smile, not giving much away. "Things have changed a little since we last spoke. Scott's whole arrest in Germany sort of had a ripple effect on the company. I work mostly with my father now at our home office. Plus, I was already invited for dinner so really, it's no trouble." She punctuated her little speech with another closed smile.

Maggie looked like she was going to ask more, but was interrupted before she could say anything further. "HOPE!" cried Cassie, running past her mother and colliding with Hope's legs, grasping the woman's waist tight. Hope's smile was genuine now as she place her hands around the girl, hugging her back.

"Hi Cassie. How was school?"

The little girl stepped back, giving Hope a chance to look at her properly. Her brown hair was swept back into a messy ponytail and she wore a red hoodie and flowered leggings. "Meh, alright. We're learning about the life cycles of insects at the moment, which would be cool except Dad's already taught me everything. Where is he anyway?"

Hope smiled down at the girl, placing a loving hand on her shoulder. "Your Dad is busy preparing something special for you back at the house, so it's just us girls."

Cassie's eyes widened at this. "Really?" she gasped, now bouncing with excitement.

"Mhmm."

"Sweet! I have so many questions!"

"So do I..." began Maggie, still eyeing Hope warily. Thinking quickly on her feet, Hope began to descend the front porch steps.

"Say goodbye to your mom Cassie, I've got dinner in the car and it's getting cold."

Cassie leaned up to kiss her mom on the cheek and give her a hug. "Bye mom. Love you! See you Monday!" she said, before running after Hope, who had already made it to the end of the drive. Making sure to take Cassie's hand and cross the street safely, they entered the silver Volvo together, buckling in before setting off towards the house.

"Phew! That was a close one. I thought my mom was going to find out you and Dad are dating again."

Hope gapped at the younger girl in surprise, before smiling a little. "Would that be such a bad thing? I mean, I don't plan on leaving your father anytime soon."

Cassie shrugged. "I know. But trust me, it's better to give her some time to warm up to it. Dad wasn't exactly in the greatest head space after you left and he got back from jail." This was certainly news for Hope, who had thought Scott's guilt for what he had done had only come after two years of being stuck in his house on house arrest. "I actually caught him staring at a picture of you once on his phone. All though don't tell him I said that."

The older woman smiled. Her alone time with Cassie was already proving to be beneficial. "Course not. Girl talk stays between us."

Cassie seemed to like that answer, giving Hope another smile, her father's dimples evident on her cheeks.

"So, Daddy said that you're his partner now. That you have a suit too. Can you shrink like he does?"

"That's right. I can shrink just like him, although my suit is way cooler. I have wings that let me fly and blaster cannons on my forearms."

"Cool!" said Cassie, clearly impressed. "What's your super hero name? Ant-girl?"

Hope snorted. As if she would let herself be called something so derivative. "The Wasp. That's why I have the blasters. My Dad calls them 'my sting'." Cassie nodded, taking it in as if it all made perfect sense.

"Are you able to fight like Daddy? I know he's had to punch and kick some bad guys before, though he doesn't really like doing it." Hope smiled. Scott really was such a softie.

"Who do you think taught him how to fight?" Cassie's eyes widened. "I've studied martial arts since I was your age."

"So you could like, totally kick Daddy's butt then, huh?" Hope laughed.

"I can and I have, numerous times. Though he has improved a lot."

Turning into the alleyway next to Scott's house, the pair exited the car, Hope grabbing the bags of food from the back. As she struggled to get the jammed door open once more, Cassie made an interesting observation.

"The Wasp seems _way_ cooler than Ant-Man." Hope paused in her struggle, a grin of satisfaction on her face. "Don't tell Daddy I said that though. He'd be heartbroken." The older woman laughed, finally pushing the door from its frame and letting the pair of them into the house.

"I wouldn't dream of it." she replied. Although she had to admit, the thought of taunting Scott with such an observation did sound kind of fun.


	3. Dinner with the Parents

**AU: Sorry it took so long guys! I had to come back to this idea a few times before I was happy with it. I find Hank hard to write.**

 **Anyway, I hope you like it!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or any of the Ant-Man franchise.**

* * *

"Would you quit that?"

"Sorry, sorry. I'm just nervous."

"I know what you mean, I'm having trouble breathing. Although it might just be this tie." She rolls her eyes at his lame joke. "Do I really have to wear this?" Her eyes roamed his outfit, crinkling as she scrutinized.

"I suppose not. It is a little overly formal for a dinner at the house." He reached for his tie, but she swatted his hands away. "I'll do it. We don't want to wrinkle your shirt."

He placed her hands gently over hers. "Hope. I've met your Dad before and your Mom has been inside my brain. Surely it can't go that bad?"

She sighed, gently pulling his tie free and working it in her hands to create a sort of pocket square. She stuffs and fluffs it in his pocket, stepping back to admire her work, she nods in satisfaction. Her eye's meet his and she realizes she hadn't answered his question.

"No, I suppose not, but...this dinner feels different. I've never brought a boyfriend for dinner with the parents before. At least not with my mom there too." He smiles at her softly, pulling her in for a hug. She buries her face in his chest, her cheek smushed against him, all thoughts of wrinkles gone. Together, they take a collective breath.

"Ready?" he asks. She nods and their off.

* * *

The musical ding-dong of the doorbell joins the sounds of waves crashing on the shore and the wind rustling the trees. Scott had to admit, while their old Victorian style home didn't exactly fit in amongst all this nature, the view was incredible. The sun was part way through its ascent in the sky, not yet a sunrise. These long San Francisco summer nights meant that the city was often bathed in golden light well into the evening, not setting until almost ten o'clock.

Hope grabs his hand for support as the footsteps draw nearer, unlocking the chain and deadbolt on the door. Even out here, they couldn't be too careful. The door swung wide to reveal a smiling Janet, clothed in a long, deep blue dress, silver hair swept artfully to the side. Even at her age, she was stunning. If she was any indication as to what Hope was going to look like in the future, Scott was a lucky man.

The older woman pulled her daughter in for a hug and kiss, elated to see her once more. Pulling back, she gave her daughter a onceover, grasping her left hand as if releasing her from a spin. "My, my. You look beautiful my dear. Thank god you got my looks and not your father's."

"I heard that!" called Hank from the other room, his footsteps approaching from down the hall.

Releasing her daughter Janet now turned to address the handsome man still standing in the doorway. "Scott, lovely to see you. I must say you are looking awfully sharp."

Hope smirked, seeing her boyfriend actually blush. She had been too young to really remember, but she imagined that her mom always had this affect on people. "Thank you very much Ms. Van Dyne. Thank you so much for having us for dinner."

"Please, please call me Janet." He nodded, following her and Hope towards the sitting room where Hank was now standing. Hope gave her father a quick hug and Scott nodded. "Hank."

"Scott." came his similar reply.

"Anyway, as I was saying" continued Janet. "It's our pleasure to have you both over for dinner. While I love the nature surrounding us, it's a tad remote. We don't get too many visitors. Plus with the whole people thinking I'm dead thing and Hank and Hope having to stay out of the public eye well...let's just say this was a welcome excuse." The couple smiled, settling themselves on a patterned blush coloured loveseat. "Plus this may be my only chance to meet one of my daughter's boyfriends."

Hope turned scarlet, quickly averting her eyes as Scott grinned a goofy grin. Good to know Hope's mother had faith in them.

Thankfully, Hope's father saved them from further embarrassment. "Scott? Hope? Would you like a drink?"

"Ye..." Scott cleared his throat. He hadn't had his voice crack like that since he was a teenager. "Yes please Hank. Beer if you have it, or whiskey if you don't."

"Same please Dad. Thank you." Hank nodded, shuffling over to the bar area to fix them all their beverages. He was being unusually quiet so far.

"So, Scott. Hope tells me you started up your own security business. How's that going?"

Accepting his drink from Hank, Scott waited until the older man and settled into his chair before answering. "Well thankfully. We had a bit of a rough start when I was still stuck in the house, but after our exposure in the news catching Sunny things have really improved. We've scored some big accounts and the boys and I are seeing steady work."

"Yes that's right. Didn't you tell me Hank that Scott here is an ex-con?"

Hank took a hearty sip from his whiskey glass before nodding. "A cat-burglar as he likes to say. Caught him breaking into the house and stealing the suit when I recruited him. He knows his stuff." Scott tried to look modest.

" I was also an engineer for a while." Hank seemed to ignore this statement, plowing on, though looking a little dark.

"Course I didn't think he'd steal the suit again to go fight in some sort of superhero face off in Germany leaving Hope and I on the run."

"Dad." warned Hope, shooting him a look. "We've been through this. Scott's more than made up for things when we needed him. Without him we wouldn't have Mom."

"Oh, I am only teasing." said Hank not very convincingly. Feeling a little less confident now, Scott took a long gulp of his beer. Thankfully, Hope saved the day.

"So, Mom, Dad, tell me about the latest developments on the quantum mini-tunnel. I went over some of the calculations..."

* * *

Their conversation over the smaller Quantum tunnel continued through most of dinner, which was simple, but delicious. Janet had cooked Italian, Hope's favourite. While Scott was unable to contribute much to the science side of things, he was able to give his input on things such as location and the practicality of their plan, using some of his engineer knowledge from his past life as a base. Mostly, he just sat with them in companionable silence and ate his food.

"That was amazing Janet. Thank you."

"Delicious mom."

"Excellent dear. You haven't lost your touch." Janet smiled, placing her hand on her husband's shoulder as she stood up to clear plates.

"Oh mom, here, I'll take them. You made dinner after all." Hope bounce up out of her chair, grabbing the plate and glass from her mother's hands. Janet opened her mouth to protest before Scott swooped in.

"Really, Janet please. Take a seat. Hope and I got this." Accepting defeat, Janet smiled softly and nodded, coming to sit in the vacant chair next to her husband. Hope headed off to the kitchen as Scott scrambled after her, balancing silverware precariously on the remaining plates.

* * *

"I'll wash, you dry." Commanded Hope, pointing to the dish towel hanging on the oven door handle.

"But I don't know where anything goes!" protested Scott. Hope rolled her eyes at his childish whining.

"You just want to watch me as I put things away."

Scott's lopsided grin made an appearance and his eyes almost sparkled. He wrapped his arms around her waist, placing the tiniest of kisses on her collarbone. "Well who could resist such a spectacular view?" His hands gave her rump a squeeze.

She batted him away, hurrying out of his arms but grinning from ear to ear. She flicked the towel at him, herding him to the soapy water and awaiting dishes as she hissed. "My parents are in the next room! Save the sexy stuff for later."

Scott's grinned widened even more as he laughed a little. Sticking his hands in the suds, he began to scrub, placing the finished dishes on the rack. Hope stood next to him, their shoulders occasionally bumping as they worked in companionable silence.

Meanwhile, Hank and Janet watched the exchange from the dining room.

"He's good for her." said Janet.

"You think?"

"I do. They remind me a little of us actually." Hank looked at her with a mix of shock and confusion on his face.

"How?" Janet laughed.

"Don't look so shocked dear. We all have more in common than you think. For one, you and Hope are both strong, intelligent, hard working, and stubborn as hell."

Hank grumbled, beginning to protest. "I'm not...". His wife shot him a look. "Continue."

"Scott is like me. A little bit more adventurous, willing to bend the rules when necessary."

"He's also careless and sloppy." Pointed out Hank. "But, admittedly, he is brave and reliable too. He makes a good partner for our daughter, both in the suit and out. They seem happy."

The older couple shot a glance at the younger in the kitchen. They both laughed a little to see Scott blowing soap bubbles at Hope, who was half-heartedly scolding him.

Janet grasped her husband's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. They shared a loving gaze. It was nice to be a full family again.

At the sound of a high pitched yelp from the kitchen, they broke their gaze, turning quickly to see what had cause the commotion. What they found was Scott and Hope locked in a deep embrace, kissing lovingly, her hands on his face and his arms supporting her as she leaned back towards the floor. She must have slipped on all the soap he had been blowing.

Hank huffed, averting his eyes. He was never going to be super comfortable seeing them like that. He took a sip of his drink.

"So how long do you think we'll have to wait until they give us some grandkids?"

Eyes wide, Hank did a perfect spit take all over their nice table cloth. "Grandkids?"


	4. Come Back to Me

**Warning, this one is really angsty y'all. Also, lots of swearing. Most likely going to be a two parter. If it goes longer I'll post separately. Let me know what you think!**

* * *

It had been two weeks since she had seen him last. _Two weeks._ Not a text, phone call or single appearance of him to be found. She was beside herself. Too many painful memories and thoughts of dread swirled around in her mind, like a bad song on repeat. Over and over it played, disturbing her dreams, leaving her weary and guarded.

Not seeing him for a few days was normal. They were busy people with their own responsibilities. They would try to send a little text here or there, talk on the phone before bed if possible, but sometimes these things got away from them. Never, _never_ had they gone this long without communicating. Well, not since...you know.

But after about a week her curiosity got the best of her and she had gone over to his house. Luis was at work, so she let herself in using her key. She walked the halls, checked the rooms, even looked in the some of the cupboards as if he was playing some elaborate game of hide and seek and was going to just pop out and surprise her. Having searched the whole house, she called the office.

"Nah, now that you mentioned it, I haven't seen Scotty in a while now. Figured we just kept missing each other. He was spending a lotta nights at the office."

Unsuccessful, she tried Cassie's house.

"Hello?"

"Uh, hi. It's Hope. I was just wondering...has Scott been by recently?"

Maggie, Scott's ex and mother of his child responded. "No, but we're taking Cassie away for a little trip this weekend so we arranged it for him to have her next week."

"Oh, okay. Thanks." Just as she was about to hang up, she heard the voice ask a question.

"Is everything okay? Is Scott alright?"

"I um, I honestly don't know. That's what I'm trying to figure out." Her response was met with silence. "I'm sure he's fine. I still have a few places to check out. Honestly, don't worry. Have fun on your trip!"

Before Maggie could press further she hung up the phone. _Where the hell was he?_

Having struck out in all the other usual places, she headed back to the lab. Having been doing some work from home, she hadn't been to the disguised building since she last saw Scott. Maybe he was there working on something with her Dad.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, she was striding through the run down corridor and into the elevator, smashing the up button with her finger. Nervous, she bounced on her toes as it ascended, letting out a little breath when the doors opened and she spotted her father at work on something very Ant-Man like.

The ding of the elevator alerted the older man to his daughter's presence and he quickly swiped away what he had been working on the screen. It was not for her to see.

"Hey Dad."

"Hope. How are..."

"Have you seen Scott?" Hank closed his mouth slowly, thinking over his response. When he didn't answer fast enough, Hope tried again. "I know you're working on something for the Ant-Man suit, I could tell that much from the elevator. Where is he?"

"I don't know." That was the honest truth. At this exact point in time, Hank did not know Scott's current location. He had a vague idea of where and why, but it was essential his daughter did not know.

"Don't bullshit me Dad." She was growing impatient now.

"I'm not. I haven't seen him all week." Her gaze bore into him like laser beams searching for the truth. He blinked blankly back at her. Sighing heavily she turned away from him, stalking off towards the other rooms. "Where are you going?"

"To the gym." she replied. Maybe burning off some steam would ease her troubled mind.

* * *

As the days passed she grew more and more antsy. She threw herself into her work, filling her head with calculations well into the night. Her day became consumed with a combination of science and training, exhausting her body and mind until she could finally manage to fall into a fitful slumber.

Two weeks and three days later, late in the middle of the night, his bedroom door creaked open. Despite having her own place, she had been choosing to stay at his, finding the memories of their time together there comforting.

Despite the slow and careful progress of the figure entering the room, the hinges creaked. She mumbled in her sleep, rolling over onto her back, but her eyes remaining closed. Slowly, carefully, the figure moved closer and closer to the bed. Their hand was within reaching distance when the floorboards squeaked. Again, Hope stirred, her eye lids fluttering, but still remaining closed. Breathing a sigh of relief, the figure continued, coming around to the edge of the bed. Their hand reached for the sheets, pulling them aside. Reaching behind themselves, their hands found purchase and they began to lift.

"Scott?" The figure stopped dead. Hope reached for the bedside lamp and flicked it on, bathing the figure in light.

"Hi Hope."

She looked at him in disbelief for a moment. She blinked slowly, digging her nail into her leg to make sure this wasn't a dream. He was here. He was really here. Although the image of him seemed off. Whether it was a trick of the light or something else she didn't know, but this was not her Scott.

He looked, smudged somehow. Like a charcoal drawing in which someone had rubbed their thumb across. His usual light shadow of a beard was longer, scruffier. His cheekbones were more prominent making his face look gaunt. His eyes no longer sparkled, but we flat and lifeless. His whole body sagged, in pain or from exhaustion she didn't know.

Then, without warning, her emotions flooded in. They hit her hard, the swelling tide smashing against the rocks and bubbling over. " _Hi? Hi?! Is that really all you have to say?"_ she hissed, rising from the bed now.

He said nothing, but looked down, avoiding eye contact.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Her voice was quickly growing hysterical. Still, he remained silent. "Do you have any idea what it's been like? Sitting here, night after night, wondering where you've been? If you were okay?!" she was shrieking now, she knew, but she didn't care if the whole neighbourhood heard her. "NO texts, NO phone calls, NO emails, not even a _fucking_ note! You can't do that Scott! You just can't!"

"I know. I'm sorry."

"YOU'RE SORRY?!YOU'RE _SORRY_?!" He winced as if her voice had physically struck him.

"I know it doesn't mean much, but I am."

Her ranting stopped. The room was filled with heavy breath as she tried to calm her racing heart. "Where _were_ you?"

"I...I wasn't supposed to..."

"Cut the shit Scott and answer the fucking question." He risked a glance at her face. She was positively seething.

"On a mission. For the Avengers." he sighed, bracing for the hit that was no doubt going to come. He didn't blame her. He would want to hit him too. What happened instead was not at all what he had been expecting.

"Get out."

"What?"

"I said get out. I don't want to see you again."

"Wait, what? Hold on here, this is my house."

"Fine, then I'll go." She began snatching her things from the floor around her and throwing them in a duffle. He stepped closer, not quite within spitting range.

"Hope, wait.. stop. Just, stop for a second okay? Let me explain."

She carried on. "There is nothing to explain Scott. We're supposed to be partners, in all ways, and once again you leave me behind. I thought you had learned your lesson, I thought this time was going to be different, but I guess..." she paused, tears now swelling in her eyes. "I guess you're just too selfish. Or you just don't care enough." Tears were now streaming steadily down her cheeks as she zipped the duffle closed.

"Hope, don't say that. Of course I care. That's why I agreed to it in the first place. I didn't _like_ leaving you here, but it was the right choice."

"Don't you _dare!_ " she threatened, anger rising once again in her voice. She stalked towards him, her eyes ablaze with fury. "Don't you dare imply that I can't handle the danger. That I wouldn't be able to keep up. In case you haven't forgotten Scott, _I_ trained _you._ I have always been the better fighter."

He looked truly shocked now. "I would never...God Hope, you could kick my butt any day of the week, it's not that."

"Then why?" Her arms folded across her chest and she stood with her back turned.

"Because he asked me to."

He watched she her shoulders rose, her posture tightening. She all but spit out her next words. "Who? _Cap?_ " she snarled.

"Your Dad."

She wheeled around to look at him, not believing what he said. "Come again?"

Scott sighed before straightening up and clearing his voice. "Your Dad. He asked me to keep the mission a secret. To not say anything."

She looked lost, searching for something to make it this whole thing make sense and failing miserably. "Why?" she finally asked.

"Because he loves you."

"And you just agreed? Like that?"

Scott shrugged. "I love you too."

"But.. you couldn't have at least mentioned something to me? I don't know, left a clue or something? Anything to put my mind at ease?"

He came towards he now, feeling it was safe to do so. His hands cupped her cheeks and used his thumbs to swipe away at the tears. "I was under strict orders. No contact, of any kind. The Avengers deal in some pretty off grid stuff. If something were to go wrong, if we had been compromised, everything would lead straight back to you. I'm able to keep Cassie out of things well enough, but you are a different matter. What with you kicking ass and taking names with me all the time. I had to create distance."

She pulled his hands from her face, wrapping them around her waist. She pulled him close, causing him to elicit a sharp intake of breath. She buried her nose into this chest, squeezing him around the ribs and not letting go. Tears fell rapidly now, as she breathed in his scent. He tried to pull away, but when she wouldn't budge he settled back into it, settling for stroking her hair, soothing the storm within.

When he tilted his head to look down at her she grabbed his head, pulling him in for a bruising kiss. Their teeth clicked as she seemed to almost want to consume him. Her fingers pulled at his hair as she bit his jaw line, scraping her teeth down his neck. Her fingers caught the hem of his shirt and yanked, causing him to groan audibly, but not from pleasure. She continued to suck, bite and kiss her way down, until her brain finally registered what was in front of her in the dim light of the night. She pulled back with a gasp, a trembling hand coming to cover her mouth.

Scott was covered in bruises and scrapes. Looking properly now, she noticed a long, thin gash near his right eye. His left was slightly bloodshot and the beard growing out did little to hide the purple smears across his cheek under her now critical eye. His side was like a patchwork quilt of yellows, greens, purples and blues, his rib bones seeming to poke out awkwardly. Worse, there were bandages wrapped around his left shoulder, holding some sort of gauze in place. "Is that...?" her words trailed, not wanting to say it out loud. "Is that a bullet wound?"

He nodded. Her fingers came up to trace it, measuring the distance from its entry point to his heart. Inches, mere inches, and she may have never held him in her arms again.

"This is too much."

His head snapped to attention. "What?"

She was backing away now, grabbing for her bag. "I...I need go. To think..."

"What? No. Hope..."

But she was already out the door, flying down the stairs, desperate to get away. He tried to run after her, but his injuries prevented him from moving very fast. By the time he made it to the front door she was gone. Nothing to see or hear. Just the sound of the crickets singing their night time song and the hum of the street lights. What had he done?


	5. Because of You

**I know, I know, it took me forever to update. I'm sorry! I went on a nice long vacation with some friends and got some much needed R &R, then it took me a bit to get back into the head space needed for this follow up. Now, I know I said that this was a two-parter, but after completing this chapter, I'm thinking I need one more to round the series off. **

**Please have a read and let me know what you all think. Also, any great wishes or desires or hope for the story as it continues is much appreciated.**

 **xx**

* * *

Janet awoke to a sudden crash echoing from downstairs. Turning on the bedside light, she drew her housecoat around her and padded softly out of the room, grabbing the ant-communicator. Activating it, she looked through their security system, checking what had caused the commotion. Another bang rang out, followed by some rather creative cursing. Her husband Hank stirred.

"Janet? What's going on? Who's downstairs?"

Recognizing the shape of their only daughter through the tiny lens of the Ant-cams, she reassured him. "It's only Hope. Though I have no idea what she's doing here so late."

Hank hesitated. The clock on the bedside table read 4 am. If his calculations were correct, Scott would have returned from his mission by now.

"I can talk to her." he offered, throwing the sheets aside and getting up only to find his wife had already descended down the stairs. He hesitated. He hadn't told Janet about the Avengers mission; about Scott's promise to keep Hope out of it. He wasn't sure how she would react, but he gathered probably not well. Choosing to stay out of it for now, he sunk down into a nearby arm chair, activating his own com and watching his wife and daughter interact.

Hope finished flipping through yet another file finding nothing of use. She tossed it back in haphazardly, banging the drawer shut. _There must be something here. Some evidence, some lead as to what he was doing, who he was against._

"Honey, is everything okay?" Hope startled at her mother's soft voice. She hadn't realized how loud she was being. Not wanting to betray her true feelings just yet, she kept her back to the woman.

"Fine mom."

The elder woman crossed her arms, looking rather skeptical. She leaned against the doorframe, watching her daughter riffle through another file in frustration.

"Clearly you're looking for something. Something that can't wait until normal people's waking hours. What is it? Maybe I can help."

Hope glanced back at her mother through her curtain of hair. How much did she know? "I..I'm looking for information on a mission."

"Okay, can you be more specific? Your father has a lot of files here."

"It's a recent mission. High Security." Hope watched the older woman's face carefully, but nothing seemed to register. Perhaps she didn't know, maybe Hank hadn't told her either?

"Hmmm." she said, biting her lip in thought. "If I remember right, most of the recent stuff you and Scott have worked on he has on the computer."

She sighed softly. "I tried that mom, there's nothing there. At least, not what I'm looking for."

"What exactly is so important about this file that you need it now, tonight? I thought all your recent missions where closed cases; complete?"

"She's not looking for any of her missions." Hank walked out of the shadows into the softly lit study, face dark and controlled. Janet looked at him in confusion, Hope in anger.

Her voice positively dripped distaste."Where is it Hank?"

Hank winced internally at the use of his first name by his only daughter. She hadn't called him that since they had defeated Cross. He sighed slightly, stroking his goatee in thought. "It's classified Hope, you know that. I can't show it to you."

"Like hell you can't. Show me the file." She was getting real tired of this whole secrets thing. Hank's eyes just continued to watch her, making no attempt to do as she asked.

"It won't make a difference." She looked at him sharply. What did he know? How could he possibly understand what she wanted with that file? She seethed quietly, wanting to fight back but unsure what to say. Hank tried to fill the silence. "How's Scott?"

Tears began to burn in her eyes at the mention of his name. Janet grew more concerned at her daughter's reaction and tried once more for clarification. "Hank, what are you talking about? What is she looking for? Is something wrong with Scott?"

The older gentlemen turned away from his daughter and looked instead at his wife, who was waiting expectedly. He searched for the right words to say. "Scott recently went on a mission, a highly classified mission, for the Avengers." Janet nodded, her interest peaked at the use of the infamous organization's name. She was aware of how damaging the last Avengers' mission had been for them and everyone involved. "I decided to send Scott and keep Hope out of the loop, for her safety as well as ours. He wasn't happy about it, but my sources tell me that the mission was successful and that he has returned safe and sound."

"Safe?!" The couple turned, once more alerted to their daughter's presence. "You call cracked ribs and a bullet wound to the chest safe?!" Janet gasped, while Hank merely looked down, shifting uncomfortably. Hope stepped closer, her finger pointing accusingly at her father. "Scott almost _died_ because of you."

"He knew the risk he was taking when he agreed to the mission."

"A mission he shouldn't have had to do alone."

Hank looked at his daughter incredulously. Was she still hung up on this? "Is that the issue here? Are you upset that I didn't send you too? We've been through this Hope, you are too valuable and Scott..."

She finished for him. "...is expendable." Silence hung in the air, thick and suffocating. Hope tried to collect herself, search for the right words to express everything that was going on inside her. "That's what you just don't seem to get Dad. He's not! Not to Cassie, not to the team, not to me. I..." it was hard to say out loud when their reunion was still so fresh. "I love him Dad, and losing him...I don't think I can do that again."

She let a fresh wave of tears consume her as her mother wrapped her up in her arms. She let herself sink into the embrace, the soothing touch of the woman who bore her drawing forth any lingering sadness and despair.

She remembered how it felt the last time Scott had left. How much it had burned in her chest, a consistent and irritable heartburn. The longer he had been missing the fresher those feelings felt. All the pain, the anger and the betrayal forming a bubbling potion of emotion within her, waiting to be released. It wasn't until she had him back in her arms - his flesh, though damaged and bruised, was warm and alive - that she realized what else had been there, lingering under the surface. Her love for Scott was more than she thought she could bear. It was all encompassing, washing over her like a wave, sending her nerve endings on fire. It was too much, all too much, she had to go, get away, get space.

She had run, for how long she didn't know, letting the feeling of her feet pounding the pavement and her breath searing in her lungs to clear her mind, ease her soul. It was when she found herself near her childhood home that the idea came to her. Maybe, just maybe, if she knew the facts, knew _why_ he had to do the mission, knew what kind of danger he had been in, she could quell the storm within. If anything, she could at least know the names of the people, or person, that dared hurt him; dared to take him away from her. They were one now, partners in life, love and war. She needed him like he needed her.

As her mother rocked her gently and her tears began to slow, she heard the sounds of her father shuffling towards them. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention. She looked at him through water laden lashes. "I'm sorry." She released herself from her mother's grasp and attempted to wipe away some of mess upon her face. She waited for him to continue. "I didn't think, I didn't realize how important he was to you. I care for the man too, as well as his daughter, but when I realized the gravity of the mission, I...I couldn't bear the thought of you being in such danger. We only just became a family again. I didn't want that to end."

Hope looked at him, all anger now washed away like the tide, leaving only the sands of compassion. She got it, she understood why he did what he did. It didn't make her worry for Scott any less, but she understood his motives. To Hank's surprise, Hope pulled him in for a hug, letting it communicate what she couldn't quite form into words. His stiff posture loosened and he relaxed a little into it, giving her a soft pat on the back. Stepping away, the two locked eyes for a moment.

"I need you to promise me Dad. Any mission, no matter what it is, from now on, is for both Scott and I, Ant-Man _and_ the Wasp. It is our decision whether we take that mission and who goes."

"I..." he began to protest.

"Hank." warned his wife from the corner of the room. He sighed and nodded.

"Alright, I promise." Hope smiled softly and gave his hand a quick squeeze of thanks.

"Now that that is sorted," The pair turned towards Janet, who was looking rather perturbed "exactly when were you going to tell me about this secret mission Hank?"

"Huh, ah well, about that..."

Hope backed out of the room quietly, leaving her parent's to bicker it out. While she was less angry at her father, it would do him good to face the wrath of another Van Dyne woman, just to drive the point home. Skulking out the door and into the early dawn light, she breathed deeply. The air was crisp and cool, the smell of dew pungent and sweet. She let it clear her of everything that had transpired, let it wipe the slate clean. Refreshed, she set off on a familiar path.


	6. Truce

**Well my dears, it's finally here! I went back and forth between a few ideas but in the end I'm pretty happy with the result, though the end is a little controversial.**

 **Thank you to everyone who has been reading, following, and reviewing. It means a lot! I hope you enjoy. xx**

* * *

Scott squinted and rolled over, trying to block the harsh sunlight flooding his room. His curtains did little to diffuse it's strength, the room already hot and humid despite the early hour. Wishing to just settle back down and sleep a little longer, Scott dragged himself across the bed to set the alarm. Hand outstretched, it groped along the bed side table, connecting with a half full mug of tea, sending it toppling towards the hardwood. He heard rather then saw the shatter of china and the glop of liquid as its contents spilt. "Shit." he mumbled, accepting his fate and throwing off the duvet.

Stumbling out of bed, he scooped up the broken pieces and threw his towel on top of the mess in a half assed attempt to soak up the liquid. _Where the hell did this even come from? I didn't have any tea..._ then it hit him. Hope.

Hope, the habitual tea and coffee drinker. Hope, the intelligent, witty, most badass woman he had ever met. Hope, his girlfriend, his lover, the woman who slept on that side of his bed and routinely set the alarm for him. Hope, the one who he had let down, again, and was now gone. Where, he didn't know.

It had been three days since that fateful night. Or morning, depending on how you wanted to look at it. Point was, she had said she needed some time and he was inclined to give it, though doing so was proving harder than his recent mission. It was one thing to not see her for a bit but know they were okay. It was another when he didn't even know when or if he was going to see her at all or if they were even still together.

Stumbling down the stairs, he threw the bits of china into a plastic bag and into the bin, before returning to his room to mop up the remains of the mess. Putting the towel in his designated dirty clothes pile, he threw on a worn grey t-shirt and some tube socks to accompany his pj pants and returned to the kitchen, pressing the on switch on the coffee machine. As its whirred and came to life, he took out the old pod and replaced it with another, trying to not dwell on the fact that the machine had been a gift from the woman in question. As brown liquid bubbled and spurted into his awaiting cup, he smiled a little, remembering the scene.

 _"Uggh, what is this? Battery acid?" she asked, pushing the mug away from her. The picture of Cassie under the moniker Worlds Best Dad smiled back up at him. He pretended to look offended._

 _"I'll have you know that is my finest house blend."_

 _"I thought you said this was Folgers?" He took a long gulp of his own beverage before replying._

 _"It is. Also Starbucks, Maxwell House and a hint of some weird Russian stuff Kurt gave me." She looked at him in disgust. "What? It's all I had. If you weren't so darn grumpy in the morning I could have gone and gotten us coffee but no...Ow!" She has smacked him, hard, with the newspaper._

 _Tossing the discarded mug into the sink, she dumped the amber coloured liquid and stormed out of the kitchen, snatching her purse from a nearby table. "You know I was joking right?" he asked, as she slammed the door shut._

 _Two hours later she reappeared, lipstick stained coffee cup in tow. Under her arm was a rather large package of which Scott was dying to rip open. As she set her cup down on the counter he made a grab for it, only to freeze mid reach at the look on her face._

 _" I'm sorry if I offended you earlier. If it's any consolation, you look cute when you're grumpy." She held her stern look for a moment longer before breaking into a soft smile and rolling her eyes. She placed the package on the table._

 _"I know I can be a real grump in the morning so I got you a little something to say thank you for putting up with me." Scott looked at her in surprise. This was not a usual occurrence for him. He approached the package once more, this time with the precision of a bomb squad member trying to deactivate an active threat. She laughed. "Go ahead, open it."_

 _Tearing apart the paper, he revealed a shiny, decorated box bearing a picture of a sleek black machine and a artisanal latte. "Wha?"_

 _She giggled again. "It's a coffee machine you dope. A proper one. Brews all sorts of things too, not just coffee. I ordered some various pods on Amazon as well, should be here soon."_

 _"I...thank you Hope. That's really sweet of you." She smiled, shrugging of his compliment._

 _"Yah well, if you expect me to be staying over here more often I'm going to need proper fuel."_

His reverie was interrupted by a loud knock on the door. He glanced at the clock, 7:30am. _Who could possibly be here at this hour?_

Turning the deadbolt, he swung his crooked wooden front door wide, only to be attacked by a flying blur with dark hair.

"Daddy!" cried the little girl, clutching her father tightly, unaware of his injuries.

"Hey peanut." he managed, his jaw clenched. "I thought I wasn't seeing you until later this week?"

His answer came in the form of his ex wife walking up the drive. "Hey Scott, sorry to drop by so early. Cassie insisted on seeing you before school and frankly, I wanted to check in on you and make sure everything was okay."

Welcoming them into his home, Scott stepped out of the shadow of the door with a confused expression on his face. Maggie and Cassie gasped.

"Daddy! What..what happened to your face?"

"God Scott. I see why Hope was so worried. Was this from an Ant-Man thing?"

Avoiding the question, he walked away from them and back towards the kitchen. "What did Hope say to you? When did you talk to her?"

"About four or five days ago, just before the trip. She called looking for you, sounded worried."

"Oh." Scott's brief look of hope faded and he slumped into a nearby chair. He sighed deeply and scratched his unshaven chin. "To answer your question, yes these are from a mission. Things got a little crazy, but I'm fine. Just some bumps and bruises."

The two women eyed him up and down, not totally convinced. "Cassie honey, do mommy a favour and go grab the school books you left upstairs please."

"But.."

"Go." Sighing, Cassie thumped out of the room, shooting another glance back at her father.

Silence feel over them as they listened to the rhythmic steps of the little girl ascending the stairs. Once sure she was out of ear shot, Maggie turned on him, slapping him on the arm.

"What the hell Scott?"

"Ow, not you too. What?"

"You look terrible! What are you doing being so reckless, especially after Germany. Do you want to get locked up again and never see your daughter?"

"Maggie, calm down okay? I was doing this for her, for all of you. This was a government sanctioned thing that they wanted to keep quiet. It wasn't supposed to be very violent, but there were a few..unexpected elements."

She looked at him with those big eyes of hers, debating whether or not to accept his explanation.

"I'm fine, I promise. No more big dangerous missions any time soon." She nodded in acceptance, though her bottom lip remained crushed between her top teeth. Knowing she needed to get the nervous energy out of her system, Scott offered her something to do. "Help yourself to some coffee, I'm going to check on Cassie."

Ascending the stairs, he opened the doorway to his daughter's room. Cassie was laying on her bed, twiddling a tiny plastic ant between her fingers.

"Aren't you supposed to be getting some books for school?" he tried, hoping to lighten the mood a little. She seemed to ignore him, continuing to stare at the toy in her hands.

Taking care not to aggravate anything, he settled himself onto the rug next to her bed, leaning with his back against the frame. They sat there until Cassie was ready to speak.

"It's more than just your face isn't it?"

"Well I'd like to think the ladies like me for my sense of humor as well but..."

"I'm serious Daddy. You were walking funny and I felt you flinch when I hugged you."

Scott sighed. He had vowed long ago to be as honest with his daughter as he felt he could. "Yes. I cracked a few ribs and sprained an ankle."

"Did they shoot at you?" the question was so blunt. Perhaps his daughter wasn't as little as he thought.

"Yes."

"Did any of them hit you?"

"I...Peanut what does all this matter? I'm here aren't I?" She dodged him, not letting his questions interrupt her interrogation.

"What about Hope? Is she okay? How badly did she get hurt?"

"Hope's fine. At least I think she is. She...didn't come on this mission with me." It felt wrong, almost shameful admitting that to his daughter. He felt like we was little again, being scolded by Mrs Applebaum for pulling pranks in class.

Cassie sat straight up now, letting the toy fall onto the floor. "What do you mean? Hope's your partner. She's supposed to look out for you. Did she just _leave you?_ "

"What? No! Cas, you can't honestly think she would do that." Now it was his daughter's turn to look ashamed. "She wasn't allowed on this one. It was top secret."

"Oh."

Swinging her legs over the side, Cassie stood up, grabbing her book bag and the books from the shelf she had been sent up to grab. Extending her hand, she helped her broken looking father up off the floor.

"I told you before Daddy, you need someone watching your back." Scott chuckled. How wise his daughter was. "Promise me, no more solo missions okay?"

He smiled, tucking her scraggly hair behind her ear. "Sure Peanut. Anything for you." She hugged him, softer this time, listening for the comforting rhythm of his beating heart.

"Come on, your mom is probably wondering what happened to us. If we don't hurry you'll be late for school."

"Meh, who needs school?"

Scott looked aghast. Had he caused this attitude? "Cassie!" She giggled and rolled her eyes.

"I'm only joking Daddy, relax. Come on!"

* * *

Scott stared at the phone screen, dropping it in frustration as the call once again went to voicemail. This whole radio silence act was driving him nuts. Was this was she meant when she said she needed time? Was she trying to be vengeful, give him a dose of his own medicine?

If she was, it was working. He was positively restless, pacing around the house like a tiger in a cage. He had tried to go back into the office and work, but found his brain couldn't stay focused long enough to get much done. Plus he hated the stares and odd looks he kept getting, walking around with his face all black and blue. It was easier to stay home, but also worse. Here, the lingering doubts, the poisonous thoughts crept into his brain, spreading like a virus and infecting his mind.

 _She's never coming back. You blew it. She'll never want to see you again. Maybe Hank will even cut you off. Which would mean no Ant-Man either. All of it, gone. Was it worth it? Was it WORTH it?_

It played over and over in his head, a sick mantra tormenting him as he tried to make it through the days.

By day four he had given in and tried to contact her. Just texts at first, mostly composed of apologies and inquires of her whereabouts. Then he started calling; if nothing it allowed him the chance to listen to her voice as it continued to go straight to voicemail. He debated going to the lab, maybe calling Hank, but he was worried about the reception he would get. Hank had sent him a coded message to check that he was safe and to confirm that the mission was, indeed, over, but he hadn't heard anything since.

Unable to take the waiting and worrying, he pulled on a hoodie and his running shoes and headed out, hood up against the wind. It was unusually dark for this time in the evening. Great grey clouds hung low in the sky; their ominous swirls holding the promise of rain. Relishing the moist air as it buffeted his face, he picked up an easy pace, one leg loping in front of the other. His ankle was still not great, but the pain served as a welcoming distraction, grounding him in the now as opposed to the reality in his head that he did not want to face.

* * *

It wasn't long until his chest and back were wet from sweat, the San Francisco hills leaving his lungs pumping at full capacity. Feeling a little lighter, he turned back towards home as the first of the rain began to fall. Tiny droplets hit his hands and nose as he ran, making dark stains on his grey sweater. All of a sudden lightening cracked across the sky in front of him, throwing him off balance and sending him skidding onto the pavement. Wincing, he hissed as he brushed the tiny bit of gravel from his now scrapped palms. Feeling defeated, he walked the rest of the way, letting the thunder rumble and the water cascade, faster and heavier down upon him.

By the time he had reached home he was soaked. Stripping off his clothes, he ditched the muddy shoes at the door and pulled on a fresh sweater and some sweatpants. Using a spare towel, he rubbed his messy hair, watching as the water splattered messily onto the floor. Throwing it over his shoulder, he was about to go scrounging for something to eat when he heard it; the distinct hard buzz of a cell phone, repeating itself over and over. Someone was calling him.

Running around now, he looked frantically for the little object, not quite remembering where he had thrown it during his last attempt at contact. Tossing pillows aside and flipping cushions he finally located the damn thing, half tucked behind a Chinese food container on the living room side table. Grabbing it, he turned it in his palm frantically as it gave another buzz. Sadly, he had missed the call. Missed five actually. All from one person. Hope.

His heart thudded in his chest as he held his breath. She had called. Multiple times. Was she okay? Did this mean she was ready to talk? To see him? Forgive him?

Coming to his senses, he unlocked the screen and selected her number, re-dialing. He listened as it rang, an almost echoing sound seeming to be coming from his phone but also around him. By the fifth ring his brain fully registered that something wasn't right. Pulling it away from his ear, he began to follow the noise around him, the sound of the ringing phone his guide. It seemed to be coming from in his house. Heading down the stairs he waded through the dark hall into the warm light of the kitchen, coming to a halt at the sight before him.

Hope was sitting at his kitchen table, drenched and shivering ever so slightly. Her hair hung in two sheets around her face, tangled and twirled, dripping thick drops of water onto the worn wood service that lay beneath her hands. Her hands. They were pale, delicate looking, a stark contrast to the raw red scrapes across her knuckles, the veins a ghostly blue under the skin. Her mouth was set into a hard, thin line, her eyes meeting his for only the briefest of seconds.

Unbelieving, Scott kept his mouth shut for once, instead choosing to take a seat across from her. Gently, he took one of her hands, examining the marks. His fingers glided over them, caressing them as if they held some sort of healing power.

His touch seemed to have set off something in her and she let out a great, heaving sob. She was shaking in earnest now, her tears joining the rain still clinging to her cheeks. Her hand grasped his, holding on like he was going to leave her, let her go.

He took that as his cue, pulling her up out of her chair and into his arms, letting the counter hold their wait as he leaned them against it, rocking her gently as she cried. He wasn't sure if it was just the water in her hair or water of his own producing that laced his cheeks, but he didn't really care. It just felt so good to have her here.

"I've...done something terrible Scott." she finally said, her words muffled by their clothes. He continued to soothe her, stroking her hair.

"Shhh. It's fine. I was terrible. I was stupid, thinking I could have done it without you. I'm sorry to put you through all that, to do that to you."

She hesitated, letting his words sink in. She pulled away now, out of his reach. She eyes met his, watery and red, yet the expression was not what he expected to see. "That's not what I meant."

"I..don't understand." He tried to reach for her again but she pulled away, turning her back to him. He saw her trace the angry red lines on her hand. "Does this have something to do with why your hands are so beat up?" She nodded. "What happened Hope?"

She sighed; a heavy, exhausted thing that carried the weight of her deeds. "After our fight, I went looking for answers, for information on your mission."

"But..."

She interrupted him. "Let me finish." He clamped his lips closed, acquiescing. "I went and visited my father. We had a fight about you. About the whole thing. We came to an understanding, but, I wasn't satisfied, so I kept digging. Eventually, I found the file. Found the names of the people who tried to hurt you. To kill you." Her tone had grown exceptionally dark now, her voice cutting like glass. Scott's stomach filled with dread. "I went looking for them. Those that were left after the fight, after the explosion." Bright orange and yellow flames shot like cannons into the sky, the mushroom clouds forming in his memories, his body remembering the impact of his fall to the ground, the glass that sprayed, cutting across his cheek and just missing his eye. He had been foolish to have opened his helmet. "I didn't know at first what I was going to do then. Once I had found them. I thought maybe that just knowing who they were, seeing them was enough."

Dreading the answer, he asked what he feared. "It wasn't though, was it?"

She looked down, a stray tear dripping onto the linoleum. "No. It wasn't." He sighed, putting his head in his hands. He didn't know what to do, how to feel. "I hurt them Scott, like they hurt me. Like they hurt you. I...I didn't mean to, but, God Scott, I left them in really bad shape."

"Did you...? Did you kill them?"

"No. At least, I don't think so. They were alive when I left them."

"Who knows about this?"

"You. Me. My parents. Whoever he had to contact to clean up." He winced a little at the expression she used. She was never that crass, that blunt about stuff like this. She never aimed to kill, stun or knock out was the plan, always.

"Do you...still love me?" Her voice quivered as she asked, scared at what he might say. He approached her once more, grabbing her face in his hands and forcing her to look at him in the face. Her dark green eyes bored into his, searching his face for any sign of hope. "Always. You hear me? I will always love you." She closed her eyes in relief as his lips touched hers in a short but passionate kiss.

"Even if...?" she couldn't quite finish the sentence. He let go, using his hands to now rub his eyes and clear his thoughts.

"Look, I won't lie to you. I don't condone what you did. It was reckless and selfish and it could have gone a lot worse. You don't want that kind of blood on your hands. I've seen what it does to people. I saw a lot during my time in prison and I would never wish that on anybody." She nodded, letting the weight of her actions and his words hang on her.

"That said, I also understand that in this line of work, things like that can happen. Even when we try to be heroes, sometimes the line between hero and villain gets blurred. It can cause a lot of pain, a lot of fighting. I've seen it in the Avengers. When they asked me to go fight with them in Germany I saw how it divided them, tore them apart. What we do we do for the greater good, but that doesn't mean there isn't consequences.

I can't promise that if some guy hurts or tortures you that I won't do everything in my power to make him pay, but I can at least try to be better than that. Try to be more than my emotions. But I'm going to need help with that. By the sounds of it, you are too. So, can we call a truce? Will you be my partner again?"

She looked up at him, amazed at his wisdom, amazed at the perspective he was able to keep. There was more to him than the soft, goofball human he pretended to be. How lucky she was that they had found one another.

"Truce. Partner."


End file.
